A ‘pop’ concert on the riverside in Twickenham just a stone’s throw from Eel Pie Island . In beautiful St Mary’s church whose refined wooden interior guarantees a perfect acoustic for Rising Stars
The indomitable Mary Orr well into her Indian summer has created a charity called ‘ Promote Our Pianists’ to help young musicians at the start of their career and she has taken steps to ensure that it will live on well into the future.
A genial collaboration with Cristian Sandrin and the Kettner Concert society brings Jaren Ziegler and Kasparas Mikuzis to this cool oasis on one of the hottest days of the year.
Kasparas I had accompanied to the Walton Foundation on Ischia in a happy collaboration with the Keyboard Trust that has been helping this exceptionally talented young Lithuanian pianist.
Jaren I had heard two years ago playing the Walton viola concerto at St John’s Smith Square . Playing of such mastery I was surprised to learn that he still had to enter the Royal Academy of Music! I met Jaren backstage at Kasparas’s RAM Wigmore debut and suggested they play together, certain that sparks would surely fly.
So I was happy to see that my prediction was right and sparks were certainly flying in St Mary’s as a cat and mouse game of superb music making was enacted .
Brahms first sonata originally written for the clarinet and which the composer thought ‘clumsy and unsatisfying’ on the viola, only agreeing in order to placate Simrock his publisher. It has long been considered one of the most important works in the viola repertoire and the passion and poetic mastery we heard from these two young musicians today just proved Brahms wrong. It was however the Hindemith Sonata n 4 that was astonishing that this one movement work could have such a powerful impact as it spanned so many different emotions. A duo that played as one with an emotional and cerebral intent that was quite overwhelming .
Of course I remembered Jaren telling me of his love for the music of Walton and it was no coincidence that Hindemith had given the first performance of Walton’s concerto when Lionel Tertis the dedicatee turned it down!
Letting their hair down with De Falla’s seven Spanish Folksongs that they played with such fire and sultry beauty that we came away clicking our heels and stamping our feet .
Ready for the ice cold Champagne with Mary looking on at her ‘boys’ with pride and tender warmth knowing she has provided a stepping stone of a Gradus ad Parnassum
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 